Chetan Bhagat
‘Terroristan’ is unlikely peacemaker, but India should keep its cool
We need to sit this one out. Cursing Pakistan or diminishing its role right now only makes us come across as insecure and having a ‘sour grapes’ reaction
‘Gen Z Walks Into A Bar…And Orders Water’
Our relationships, even with ourselves, shift when the blur of alcohol is gone. Vulnerability isn’t outsourced to a fifth glass of wine. Joy becomes less about the shared high, more about shared presence
Iran war shows why India’s defence budget needs a 21st-century upgrade
Whether it is the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US-Israel-Iran tensions, or even the relatively short Operation Sindoor, warfare has changed.Wars today are about technology. Software over soldiers
'The Iran war is not a close fight. It's 100:1 in favour of US-Israel'
Iran is being cast as clever, defiant and resilient in the face of overwhelming force. But this is not an even contest. It is a lopsided war being narrated as suspense
Bengaluru is stuck in a new jam. Can it beat back the AI monster?
India’s IT sector contributes roughly 7% to GDP and its decline may not devastate the economy, but it will have consequences
Airport wheelchair abuse shows our love for gaming the system
As we modernise our infrastructure, there is a need to improve civic education as well. Breaking rules shouldn’t be cool. Following them well should be. As that cultural shift will take a while, we should, meanwhile, have heavy penalties for misuse of wheelchairs
Get Real, Humans Like War
We did think the world had entered an era of peace, until Putin and Trump shattered that idea. Fact is countries with real hard power can literally do whatever they want. Morality aside, this is the power India needs to secure. But chest-beating nationalism has little to do with it
Butter naan-sense. Symbolic fixes can’t clean up Delhi’s pollution
The city's air quality crisis is so mismanaged that even coal-fired tandoori rotis are being targeted as a “solution”
GLP-1 Does Fat Lot Of Good
Our national love language is food, our cities discourage walking. So, most of us are portly. But best-selling weight-loss injections can help us only so much. Indians won’t slim down unless they learn discipline
IndiGone: What We Learnt
Overworked pilots or hell for flyers, that’s the choice IndiGo gave us. Not just govt, even the airline, never mind its big market share, should know this can’t go on. But Indians, get ready to pay more when pilot safety rules fully kick in
A ‘rishta’ with Uncle Sam, and some red lines
Like a typical arranged marriage proposal, India is getting mixed signals. On one hand, we are being threatened with punitive tariffs. On the other, there is outreach — high-level phone calls and expressions of hope for future ties.
Why Those Beyond Bihar Are Riveted By Bihar Elections
As frequent as elections are in India, some are bigger and juicier. In that the themes resonate across the country, the contest is tight, and a measure of the national mood is on tap
Six ways to win over Gen Z and avoid being cancelled
It is not easy to win them over. Many have tried to crack the code and failed. They will meme you, cancel you, destroy your business model, make you lose elections, tank your movie, and — as happened in Nepal — even topple a govt.
Three neighbours, three uprisings and the three Es India must track
Recent unrest in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, triggered by specific issues like social media bans and shortages, highlights deeper frustrations with corruption and inequality
What Flooded Gurgaon Tells Us
India needs to build dozens of world-class cities or face utter urban nightmare. Investments, jobs and opportunities depend on this
Tariffs: Things India should and shouldn’t do
History shows that countries that confront the US with chest-thumping rarely gain anything. We must respond to the tariffs with nuanced, measured steps
Assert Or Accommodate: Playbook For India
We must know when to stand firm and when to agree to some demands. Restoring mutually beneficial trade ties with US depends on this
If youth don’t want a blue-collar future, they need to wake up now
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming industries globally, with significant investments in research and development. While the US and China lead the AI race, India risks falling behind due to a lack of focus on innovation and over-reliance on importing technology
Air India Sucks, Tata Hotels Rock
An Indian company gives us world-class hotel experience but low-quality airline experience. Preliminary report on the Ahmedabad air crash should give some explanation for this oddity
Jiski lathi, uski foreign policy! Five lessons from Iran-Israel conflict
The recent Israel-Iran-(US) conflict highlights the raw realities of global power, where military and economic might often overshadow international norms. The US backing of Israel demonstrates strategic alliances driven by mutual benefit, while the UN's influence remains limited against powerful nations. Ultimately, technological advancement and economic strength are crucial for global influence, rendering soft power ineffective in protecting a nation